Defense Leads the Way as Jayhawks Open Season With 73-40 Win Over South Dakota
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Redshirt freshman Tania Jackson scored a team-high 13 points to lead Kansas women’s basketball to a 73-40 victory over South Dakota Sunday afternoon. Sophomore Carolyn Davis added 12 points, seven rebounds and tied a career-high in blocks with five.
The victory marked the sixth straight year Kansas has begun the season 1-0. South Dakota fell to 1-1 with the loss. Kansas head coach Bonnie Henrickson improved to 13-1 all-time in season openers as a head coach, including a 6-1 mark at KU.
Kansas spread around the statistics, as all 11 Jayhawks scored in the game and three players – Davis, junior Aishah Sutherland and freshman Keena Mays – tied for the team lead with seven rebounds. As a team, KU outrebounded the Coyotes 53-33. KU also blocked 10 shots, its highest total since it blocked 13 shots against San Diego on Nov. 30, 2002.
The two teams traded baskets in the first two minutes, including a three-pointer. After that, with Kansas leading 5-4, the Jayhawks went on a 19-2 run to open up an 18-point lead with 7:45 remaining in the half. During that stretch, redshirt freshman Tania Jackson made her first career three-pointer and seven different Jayhawks scored.
Kansas extended its lead to 20 with the help of two three-pointers from sophomore Angel Goodrich before South Dakota responded with a 6-0 run to cut the Jayhawk lead to 14. Kansas finished the half with layups from senior Krysten Boogaard and sophomore Monica Engelman in the last minute to lead 34-16 at the break. For the half, Kansas held the Coyotes to only 17 percent shooting from the field.
In the second half, Kansas continued to stretch its lead, using a pair of 8-0 runs and another 6-0 run to widen its margin throughout the half en route to its 33-point victory. Jackson scored 10 or her 13 points in the final period.
For the game, Kansas held South Dakota to 22 percent field goal shooting. Amber Hegge was the only Coyote with double-digits, scoring 13 points.
Kansas will play next on Wednesday, Nov. 17, when they host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at Allen Fieldhouse. The game was originally scheduled for 7 p.m., but has been changed to 8 p.m. because of the volleyball match on campus. Wednesday’s game will be televised on Sunflower Channel 6.
Updated 11-14-2010
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